Fighter
by CurrentlyIncognito
Summary: 300 words drabble on Inoue Orihime. :D read and review! Heartbeat: Crazy as it is, sometimes, Ichigo does things only Inoue would understand... And she's not sharing.
1. Chapter 1

Just a little something that popped into my mind when I was thinking of what to write for my blog. Read and review.

Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine. (Duh!)

She'd worked hard. Untiring. Even when she brought back the semi-demented doctor, who had been long since dead. She summoned her powers forth, and pulled them back to the state she knew best. Alive. And then she stood up and went to the next patient. And when she went forward to heal the enemy, they made to stop her, only to be shot back by a determined look.

'I have to do this,' she said, unflinching, 'please…'

And thus they let her. Because it seemed important to her. Because they don't think they have enough will power to stop her. Because they don't think they deserve to die… at least… not all of them.

And when the first beads of sweat tickled down the sides of the pale face, Ichigo had put a hand on her arm, 'stop, Inoue. You're tired…' she smiled at him acknowledging. . .

'I'm fine…'

She had placed a hand where her heart is, once. When she saw what was left of her capturer. 'I'm sorry,' she whispered as if his demise was her fault, and resumed her work.

Then she sat down and leant against the stones.

'Inoue?'

'I think I'll stop now,' she smiled.

'Like hell you would. Heal goddamnit!' he was being unreasonable. How can he demand for such a thing? She had been at work for the last sixteen hours.

She shook her head stubbornly. 'I'm tired.'

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her roughly, 'Just one more Inoue, then you can rest!'

'Later,' she closed her eyes, 'I'm so tired.'

'Stop being selfish Orihime!' he was being loud and unreasonable now, 'One more! That's all!'

She didn't respond, merely shook her head.

A small smile graced her lips. 'I'm happy… you came for me…'

'Inoue goddamnit, heal yourself!!' he half screamed...


	2. Chapter 2

Welcome back

They brought her to Hatsu only three days after. Because at first, it seems like she was only resting. She looked so peaceful…so…serene. And they thought she was merely sleeping. Then Ishida's father paid them a little visit.

He pronounced her dead at twelve twenty five, Friday…

'_Morons.'_

Gawping and hysterical screaming ensued.

Hence, they brought her to Hatsu and demanded that he 'fix' her, as Ichigo put it.

The gentle giant looked pained as he shook his head. 'I can't...'

'What do you mean you can't?!'

'She wouldn't want to…'

'How the hell would you know?!' every word was pronounced with malice.

'Some people fear death. Some…welcome it.' He turned away. 'I'm sorry… this is a path she has to choose herself…'

His words echoed in their minds as they retreated to their respective homes. _She'll wake…only if she thinks there're still things worth waking up for. _

Kenpachi's brat suggested they make her a glass coffin, put her inside …

and bury her somewhere.

They put her in soul society, under the care of the forth division after two weeks. She looked so alive. It was hard to believe she's really… dead. But Ishida's father had said that being in Hueco Mundo so long had some side-effects.

She woke up after two months in soul society.

Alone.

Well, not exactly. Since everyone else is at a meeting in the next room. If she had chose to walk left rather than right she would've been seen. As fate would have it, Inoue walked out of soul society alone.

And as twisted as fate it, she was found not by Kurusaki-kun. Nor was it by Chad, Ishida, _or_ Rukia.

'Welcome back…' the monotonous voice droned, standing slightly in front of her.

'Ano…' she smiled uncertainly, 'arigatoo… Ulquiorra-kun... Grimmjow-kun'

Review!!


	3. Chapter 3

3rd drabble: Finders Keepers

Kurosaki was certain that if he didn't find her when he did, the basta- Arrancars were going to lure her back to Hueco Mundo. In fact, he was sure of it.

'Kurosaki-kun!' Inoue exclaimed when she saw her, grinning. Her escorts didn't seem as glad.

'When did you wake up? Fuck! You're supposed to be in Soul Society. What're doing here, Orihime? With them?!' he was furious.

Grimmjow stepped in front of the slightly cowering human swiftly and stated in a low condescending tone to Ichigo so that she can't hear him, 'you should take better care of things precious to you, Kurosaki Ichigo.' He smirked.

'They're just showing me the way home Kurosaki-kun,' she smiled a tad uncertainly. 'I seem to be a little lost.'

He glared at the duo who was leading her in the opposite direction. Perhaps it's better to keep her in the dark. 'Come on Orihime, I'll get you back.'

'Oh…' she eyed her two kindly friends a tad guiltily, 'okay…'

Ulquiorra spoke up in that dull, lifeless, voice of his, 'If I recall correctly, you humans have a saying… "Finders keepers"?' Ichigo could swear he saw the stone-faced arrancar's lips quiver up in a sneer.

Inoue frowned.

Grimmjow smirked even more, 'Damn you're smart.'

'Look you-' Ichigo started.

'Ulquiorra-kun's just joking, Kurosaki-kun,' Inoue stated a-matter-of-factly, 'Right, Ulquiorra-kun?'

He spared the woman a brief glance before turning around and walking away, 'we're leaving Jeagerjaques.'

His smirk turned into a frown in a matter of seconds. 'What the fuck?! We can always drag her back by force!' he proposed, grinning maliciously at a very much confused Inoue, 'right, Orihime?'

She frowned even more.

'Next time,' Ulqiorra droned.

'You're no fun,' he complained, tagging along obediently. 'Catch you later Orihime! Kurosaki-teme!'

Silence.

'What the hell was that?!'

'They do that sometimes,' Inoue stated knowingly.

_I've been reading too much crack. Anyway... REVIEW!!_


	4. Chapter 4

Their new PE teacher is an ass who found it fit to call people names and insult the less athletic students. Inoue, being one of the 'less athletic students', succeeded in crossing the guy the second week of his class by falling down and injuring her knees. She apologized ceaselessly as she got up and proceeded towards the clinic, incognizant of the fact that by doing so, he'll have to explain why and how that happened. Hence, paperwork

"Where are you going?!" he barked, his face boot red from fury.

"I…I…" she stuttered, quite unfamiliar with such treatment ever since she had returned to the human world.

"Stupid woman," he declared.

Inoue, being well, Inoue, bowed her head and apologized as if it being stupid was a sin. 'Komenasai,' she muttered.

"Silence, woman! You do not speak unless spoken to," he stated in an all so familiar way.

Looking quite lost suddenly, she whispered, almost incoherently, "yes, Ulquirra-kun." Her hands were folded demurely over her lap as she stared nonchalantly at the ground, but there was an odd change in the peculiar young woman. Students who had the spare time to recall later used the varying words to describe how she looked. But there was one word they all agreed on: Forlorn.

Ichigo, who was standing close by, found it obligatory to slug the unfortunate, but deserving teacher on his face just then. Grabbing the guy on his collar to prevent him from falling on impact just yet, he proceeded to knee the instructor and throw the suffering fool unceremoniously across the gym expertly.

Loud, joyous and supporting exclamations from their fellow classmates ensued after a brief silence. Nevertheless, Ichigo knew he was going to be in deep trouble.

But right that moment, he was looking bloody pleased with himself.


	5. Heartbeat

Sometimes he does things that only she could comprehend. Take the second week she came back, for example…

She was doing her homework -god-help-me- _happily_ in class, with the teacher supervising. She'd missed so many classed her calculus teacher found it necessary to give her and, since they all probably need it anyway, all of her classmates, extra classes.

Question thirteen, prove that tan2 x + 1 sec2 x. _That's easy_. she smiled to herself and proceeded to scribble the calculations. The teacher continued to teach in front of the class hopelessly, as ignorant as Inoue that everyone is engrossed in watching Ichigo who, for reason unbeknownst to them, had been staring at Inoue's back for the past fifteen minutes unblinkingly. This process continued on for five minutes before the silence (the teacher talking doesn't count since they've all mastered the art of blocking out her voice by now) was broken by the orange-haired teenager.

'Inoue, come here for a sec.,' he ordered suddenly. The ignored teacher was still writing notes on the blackboard for her ungrateful students.

Inoue stopped her scribbling obediently and climbed out of her seat in the oddly demure way of hers. She then tip toed over to his place with a bemused look on her face.

'Over 'ere,' he stated, gesturing to his side a bit impatiently.

She complied, though somewhat sheepishly.

Ichigo proceeded to surprise everyone by grabbing her by the waist and pinning his face close to her chest. He released her a good fifteen seconds later.

'What the hell was that for?!'

He shrugged unreflectively.

Her face scarlet as she ran back to her seat and her classmates couldn't help but notice that shy smile on her face.

He merely wanted to make sure her heart was still beating.


End file.
